"Shark Attack Survivors News Archive"

11/25/2005 Ashley Milford (South Africa)

Shark Attack Survivors News Archive for Shark Attacks in 2005
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11/25/2005 Ashley Milford (South Africa)

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Surfer escapes shark attack at Nahoon Reef

"I've got to get my board fixed; then I'll give it a couple of weeks and will be back in the water"

- Ashley Milford

By NICK PIKE


EAST London surfer Ashley Milford had a lucky escape after a "bump and bite attack" at Nahoon Reef left him with only a small cut on his finger.

But it was only one of a series of events in a truly awful day for the 26-year-old information technology specialist.

The attack came after he had fallen off a wave during a manoeuvre at high tide at about 11.30am. He got back onto his board and paddled only three or four strokes out to sea when the shark hit from underneath and knocked him off.

As it rose to take a bite Milford rammed his surfboard sideways into the shark's mouth.

Milford said the shark had a "squarish snout" indicating it could have been a Zambezi, Bull or Tiger shark.

Its tooth marks on Milford's board show a bite width of approximately 20 centimetres, from teeth designed to lacerate.


The relieved East London-born surfer said: "It was not an experience I'd wish on my worst enemy."

Ironically it happened after he'd gone for "a nice relaxing surf" to de-stress from banking and traffic wrangles earlier that morning.

Milford's day yesterday reads like a cartoon on "how to know when you are having a bad day".

It started when he learnt that a fraudster had accessed his banking details and taken an R11870 "loan" in Johannesburg - and repayments were now being deducted from his account.

While at the bank to sort out the problem he was fined for failing to display his licence disk - which had been in the cubby-hole of his car.

On top of that he had the unhappy news that he was facing retrenchment in May.

Despite his increasingly awful experiences the resilient surfing enthusiast said he would get his board fixed and be back in the water in a couple of weeks.


http://www.dispatch.co.za/2005/11/26/Ea ... ttack.html
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